


Reveries

by misura



Category: Coldfire Trilogy - C. S. Friedman
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-23
Updated: 2006-04-23
Packaged: 2017-11-10 11:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/465772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"I know you, remember? I know you well enough not to suggest that you sleep with him, or even trust him a little more. All I say is that a nice little innocent dream might help him cope."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reveries

"I would be doing him a favor, wouldn't I?" Karril commented, gesturing in the general of direction of Damien's tent. "A good dream never harmed anyone."

"He would probably disagree with you." There was a faint smile to Tarrant's tone of voice; Karril didn't actually see it on his face, but it was there all the same. "Vehemently."

"And whose fault is that?" Karril complained. "Whose arguments would he be quoting at me?"

Tarrant inclined his head, silently acknowledging Karril's point.

"You screw up my life, and then you expect me to come running whenever you need me. That's just so typically you. Really, I wonder why I bother." There were few people Karril could whine to; being worshiped as a deity of pleasure did have its drawbacks. He intended the most out of this opportunity, especially since he felt he was in the right.

"By all definitions, you don't have a life. You merely exist." Tarrant's voice had cooled considerably.

Karril gave a mental shrug and returned to their original topic. "Fine, you screwed up my existence, then. I don't see the difference, but who cares about that? My point is: he could do with a nice dream, and I could give him one."

"There are, I seem to recall, certain rules about things like that." Tarrant stared at the tent.

"So we bend the rules a little bit. Who's to know? I won't tell if you won't," Karril offered. "Right now, he looks about ready to collapse from sheer exhaustion. You should take better care of him."

Tarrant raised one eyebrow.

Karril sighed. "Yes, yes, I know you're supposed to be this inhuman monster, but you're traveling with him, for crying out loud! What happened to manipulating people to do what you want, just by being an arrogant jerk? Did you lose that ability somewhere along with your heart? Tell him to get a rest because he's slowing you down! Comment on how tired he looks! Do I have to do all the thinking around here?"

"I have not," Tarrant spoke in a dangerously soft voice, "lost my heart to him. I lost it long ago and - "

"And you're doing fine without it. Yawn." Karril shook his head. "I know you, remember? I know you well enough not to suggest that you sleep with him, or even trust him a little more. All I say is that a nice little innocent dream might help him cope."

"Considering its source, I doubt if the dream would be very innocent," Tarrant replied dryly.

"Weren't you the one who said celibacy was a bad thing?" Karril snorted. "One of the few sensible things you wrote, too."

"I didn't summon you to hear your opinion about my life's work." Tarrant sent Karril a slightly unfriendly look. "If you have nothing useful to say, you might as well leave. You don't need my permission to influence Damien's dreams."

"You're getting my opinion for free, along with my advice." Karril smiled, making sure to look cheerful enough to annoy lesser men than Tarrant to death. "But you're right: whether or not I get your permission doesn't matter to me. Although it's nice to hear the two of you already call each other by your first names. Small details like that can make or break dreams, you know."

"I would have no idea." Tarrant was huffy; Karril could tell by the set of his shoulders and the way Tarrant's face was turned in his direction without actually seeing him.

"No, of course not." Karril steadily kept on smiling. "Well then, do you have any special preferences? Do you think he does? Would he let you be on top? Would you - "

"Karril ... " Tarrant's hand was on his sword, but it was still sheathed. Karril forced himself to remain relaxed and smiling, although he couldn't help feeling a little nervous. In theory, of course, Tarrant couldn't even come close to doing him any serious harm, but in practice, Tarrant could be a very scary and dangerous man, and the part of Karril that enabled him to understand human desire now screeched warnings at him. "Leave. Now."

"Sure." Karril left. "Spoilsport."


End file.
